Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-08-26

| had already an edge like razor Standing
| in front of him, and regarding him with q
| mixture of fear and fascination, was Al
| phonse. And certainly he did seem an
! alarming object-sitting there, Zulu fash
| ion, on his launches, a wild sort of look
! upon his intensely savage and yet intel
! lectual face, sharpening, sharpening. sharp
ening at the Misunderstanding ak.
''Oh, the monster, the horrible man."
! said the little French cook, lifting his hands
/ in amazement. See but the hole in his
| forehead; the skin beats up and down like
| q baby's Who would nurse such a baby"
| and he burst out laughing at the idea.
! For a moment UmslopOgaas looked up
| iron. his sharpening, and sort Of evil
light played in his dark eyes.
What does the little 'buffalo-heifer' so
named by CmslOpogaas. on account Of his
mustachios and feminine characteristics
say? Let him be careful, or l will cut his
! horns. Beware, little man-monkey-be-
waren'
Unfortunately Alphonse, who was get
ting over his fear of him, went on laughing
at sec droIe dun monsieur nOir." l was
about to warn him to desist, when sudden
ly the huge Zulu bounded off the veranda
| on to the open space where AlphOnse was
standing, his features alive with sort of
malicious enthusiasm, and began swinging
the ak round and round over the French
mans head.
Then followed the most extraordinary
display of sword-or rather of axmanship
that ever saw. FIRST of all the AK went
flying round and round over the top of Al
phOnse's head, with such an angry whirl
and extraordinary swiftness that it looked
like continuous band of steel, ever get
ting nearer and yet nearer to the unhappy
individuals skull, till at last it grazed it
as it flew Then suddenly the motion was
changed, and 1t seemed to literally flow up
and down his body and limbs, never more
! than an eighth of an inch from them, and
wee never striking them. 1t was won
derful sight to see the little man fixed
there, having apparently realized that to
| move would be to run the risk of sudden
death, while his black tormentor lowered
over him, and wrapped him round with
the quick flashes Of the ak. For a minute
or more this went on, till suddenly | saw
tho moving brightness travel down the
side of Alphonses face, and then outward,
and stop As it did so, a tuft of some
thing black fell to the ground it was the
| tip of one of the little Frenchman's curling
| mustachiOs
Umslopogaas leaned upon the handle of
| Inkosikaasi. and broke into long, low
laugh, and Alphonse, overcome with fear,
sank into a sitting posture on the ground,
while we stood astonished at this exhibit
ton of almost superhuman skill and mas
terry of weapon. "Inkosikaasi is sharp
enough" he shouted 1.-The blow that clip
ped the buffalo heifer's' horn would have
split a man from the crown to the chin.
Few could have struck it but /; none could
have struck it and not taken off the Shout
destoo. Look, thou little heifer! Am l a
good man to laugh at, thinkest thou? For
a space hast thou stood within a hairs
breadth of death. Laugh not again, lest
the hair s-breadth be wanting. | have
! spoken"
What meanest thou by such mad
tricks?" | asked of Umslopogaas, indig-
nantly. 'Surely thou art mad. Twenty
times didst thou go near to Staying the
| man"
And yet, MacumaZahn, | slew not.
| Thrice as Inkosikaasi flew the spirit en-
tered into me to end him, and sending her
crashing through his skull; but | did not.
Nay, it was but jest; but tell the 'heifer'
| that it is not well to mock at such as |.
Now go to make shield, for 1 smell
blood, Macumazahn-of n truth [ smell
blood. Before the battle hast thou not
seen the vultures grow of sudden in the
sky? They smell tho blood, Macumazahn,
and my scent is more keen than theirs.
There is a dry OK hide down yondcr; | go
to make a shield"
| THAT is an uncomfortable sort of retain
er of yours" said Mr. Mackenzie, who had
| witnessed the extraordinary scene. "IIe
| has frightened Alphonse out of his wits;
| loOk!'' and he pointed to the Frenchman,
who, with a scared white face and trem-
bling limbs, was making his way into the
| house. 81 don't think that he will ever
laugh at &c monsieur noir' again.
Yes answered !, lit is i'll testing with
such az he When he is reused he is like
a tiend, and yet he has a kind heart in his
own fierce way. | remember years ago
seeing him nurse a sick child for a week
He is a strange character, but true as steel,
and strong stick to rest on in danger"
"He says he smells blood" said Mr.
Mackenzie. Il only trust he is not right
| am getting very fearful about my little
| girl She must have gone far, or she
would be home by now. 1t is half-past
three o'clock"
pointed out that she had taken food
with her, and very likely would not in the
| ordinary course of events return till night
fall; but l myself felt very anxious, and
fear that my anxiety betrayed itself.
Shortly after this, the people whom Mr.
Mackenzie had sent out to search for Flos-
sic returned, stating that they had followed
the spoor of the donkey for a couple OF
miles, and had then lost it on some stony
ground, nor could they discover it again.
/ hny hn
! far and wide but without success.
After this, the afternoon wore drearily
! on, and toward evening, there still being
! no signs of FloSsie, our anxiety grew very
! keen. As for the poor mother, she was
! quite FRUSTRATED by her fears, and TO won.
der; but the father kept his head wonder.
fully we'll Everything that could be done
was done: people were sent out in all di.
| rections, shots were fired, and a continu.
GUS outlook kept from the great tree; but
! without avail
! And then at last it grew dark, and still
no sign of fair-haired little Flossie
AT eight o'clock we had supper 1t was
! but a SorrOwful meal. and Mrs. Mackenzie
! did not appear at it. We three were very
! silent, for, in addition TO our natural
! anxiety as to the fate OF the child, we were
| weighed down by the sense that we had
brought this trouble on the head Of ou
| kind host. When supper was nearly at an
! end. | made an excuse to leave the table.
| l wanted to get outside and think the stu
! alton over. went on the vcranda, and,
having lit my pipe, sat down on seat
| about dozen feet from the right-hand end
| of the structure, which was, as the reader
may remember, exactly opposite one of the
narrow doors of the protecting wall that
| inClosed the house and flower garden |
had been sitting there perhaps six or seven
| minutes when l thought heard the door
| move. l looked in that direction and
! listened, but, being unable TO make ont
| anything, concluded that | must have been
mistaken. ltwas darkish night, the moon
not having yet risen
Another minute passed, when suddenly
| something round fell with soft but heavy
| thud upon the stone floor of the veranda,
and came bounding and rolling along
| passed me. For moment did not rise.
| but sat wondering what it could be- Final
| ly, concluded it must have been an ami
NAL. Just then. however another idea
! struck me, and l got up quick enough.
| The thing lay quite still few feet beyond
me. put down my hand toward it, and
1t did not move; clearly it was not an ami
| NAL My hand touched it 1t was soft
and warm and heavy. Hurriedly l lifted
! IL and held il nm arr1iDSt tho foi,t STARLIGHT